Green Party qualifies for Arkansas ballot

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Secretary of State Mark Martin said the Green Party gathered sufficient signatures to qualify for a party slot on the Arkansas election ballot this year.

The party must hold a nominating convention by May 22.

NEWS RELEASE

Secretary of State Mark Martin certified as sufficient a petition submitted on behalf of the Green Party of Arkansas to form a new political party. The party has met the requirements for its candidates to appear on ballots through the November 2012 General Election.

A.C.A. § 7-7-205 allows any group wishing to form a new political party to do so by submitting a petition to the Secretary of State. The petition must contain the signatures of at least 10,000 registered voters. The Green Party of Arkansas submitted its petition on December 20, 2011 , and the Secretary of State's office verified a sufficient number of valid signatures from registered Arkansas voters. Party status shall be maintained as long as statutory requirements are met.

In addition, Secretary Martin wants to take this opportunity to highlight some of the changes enacted last year. Act 1036 of 2011 requires that new political parties must complete their selection process for candidates by convention, must hold that convention naming those candidates, and all of their candidates must file political practices pledges, no later than NOON on the date of the May 22, 2012, preferential primary election. With this new party certification, the Green Party of Arkansas is the first political party explicitly covered by Act 1036.